My Wife Is A Sword Immortal

Chapter 34: Chapter 32 “Ant Ascending Heaven Technique
 

Su Xiaoxiao finally picked out a blue bookcase made of bamboo, which was light yet sturdy.

After paying for her, Zhao Rong turned around and saw her squatting on the ground, her head bowed as she transferred her belongings.

Su Xiaoxiao placed the items from her back basket into the bookcase one by one. Her little head, tied with a red ribbon, bobbed to the tune she hummed,

“I am a little red-clothed fox, with smiling curved eyes. Don’t think all foxes are bad, really, I only do good deeds and never steal chickens~”

Zhao Rong took a few glances from the side, curiously observing the trinkets she carried.

A small silk pouch embroidered with a tall building, holding Spirit Stones inside. Zhao Rong had one too.

A few plants of unknown use.

Several shiny rocks, also unknown whether they were jade or something else.

Several sets of men’s clothes bunched up, with several brightly colored strap-laden… ahem, avert your eyes from the immodesty.

Zhao Rong averted his gaze, later drawn again by the stack of books she took out.

There were many books, each with a different cover. Zhao Rong saw at a glance that all had some peculiar names.

Painting Fate, Like a Pledge, Love Dream Tower, Dragon and Phoenix Rebirth, Qingqiu Cold Fox Dream, Immortal Fox…

Zhao Rong touched his nose.

What on earth are you reading, my dear lady? So you’ve been filled with these odd thoughts day and night, so naïvely absorbing them like this that I’d be surprised if you weren’t brainwashed.

After finishing packing, Su Xiaoxiao pressed down hard; there were too many items, barely fitting. She got up energetically, hoisted the bookcase on her back, wobbled a couple of times, and then looked at Zhao Rong with anticipation.

“Hmm, not bad, turn around, yes, you look quite charming, is it heavy?”

The little fox demon shook her head like a rattle-drum.

Zhao Rong nodded and led her away.

Along the way, Zhao Rong, feeling the need to save the ignorant young girl, stopped Su Xiaoxiao, who was about to go give more money to the bookstore owner.

Afterward, Zhao Rong bought a folding fan and a feather fan at a fan store.

The folding fan had a pure white surface, and Zhao Rong planned to add some calligraphy and painting to it later.

The feather fan depicted a graceful lady, quite pleasant to the eyes. Zhao Rong casually tossed it behind him to his little follower, counting on her for coolness in the upcoming month.

Zhao Rong and the others met up with Liu Sanbian at the designated spot and then set off together, heading north on horseback.

The trio lodged in the open, enduring the elements and traveling on foot day and night.

Although Zhao Rong’s body was weary, his spirit remained vibrant.

In his previous life, he longed for travel.

But that was merely a longing. The kind of life where he could just up and leave, he thought, would forever exist only in dreams or in other people’s worlds.

But unexpectedly, he was granted this current life.

In this life, free of those mountain-like pressures and the ties of many relatives, Zhao Rong just wanted to live freely, walking out whenever he felt like it.

He wanted to follow his heart, step by step, life as a journey against the current, a single reed boat as his sail.

His short-term goal was to send the letter to the Academy, deliver the jade to that person, and then visit Qian’er, whom he had just parted with but already missed.

As for what came after, if there were no complications, then he would not linger. He would cut the ties of karma and say goodbye to everything in Wangque Continent, heading to the Southern Tranquility State to return home to his ancestry.

Then there were the longer-term plans:

Practicing calligraphy, studying diligently, and serious cultivation.

All these were for some vague hopes he had in his heart.

Firstly, he really wanted to witness the contentions among the Hundred Schools of Thought in this world, to see the demeanor and actions of the Confucian Saints and various scholars, to see for himself how they differed from the pre-Qin philosophers he once fancied.

Zhao Rong’s unfinished graduate thesis was about these pre-Qin philosophers.

According to Brother Sanbian, the fiercest and most tumultuous competition among the Hundred Schools was unfolding on Tunan Continent. This unprecedented struggle, continuing above and below the Xuanhuang Mountain in the Xuanhuang Realm, was still ongoing, and its dramatic scope kept spreading throughout the Xuanhuang Nine States via the central Tunan Continent.

Second, I really wanted to climb the mountain. Regardless of whether I could reach the summit in the end, at least the scenery along the way would be something I had never seen before. It was another journey, certainly better than lingering at the foot of the mountain, hesitant and making no progress.

That was the main motivation for Zhao Rong’s cultivation.

Why climb the mountain? Because it’s there.

As for factors like the will and spirit that emerged under the pressure of Zhao Qianqiu earlier, they were just a catalyst.

Besides, regarding the elusive destiny Gui mentioned, it was still too far off. I hadn’t given it much thought yet.

The journey continued, slow but leisurely as a result.

Without the fast pace of another world, my five senses and sixth sense were no longer dull, and I became more sensitive to the green mountains and clear waters, the evening breeze and the bright moon.

Every morning I practiced calligraphy and read books, and every evening I gathered firewood and kindled a fire.

When bored, I would tease Su Xiaoxiao, and if I accidentally made her angry, I would tell a story to quickly appease her.

During nighttime vigils, if Brother Liu Sanbian felt talkative, we would sit knee-to-knee and chat until the distant dawn broke.

Sometimes, during breaks on the journey, I would fall into a doze in the afternoon. On waking, I would find that Su Xiaoxiao was still fanning me.

Sometimes, I would wake up in the middle of the night to a bright moon overhead, and without intending to, I would see the person on watch practicing martial arts under the moon.

On this day.

Zhao Rong was on watch in the early hours before dawn, the moonlight hazy, mist rising in the mountains, summer insects trilling. He stared at the fire, lost in thought.

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang in his ear.

“A job well done. At last, I’ve organized all the text and mnemonics for every cultivation technique, secret technique, divine skill, and sword technique I’ve seen over the years,

Hmm, I’ll focus on this path, with a few alternatives as backup, hehe. If this path works out, maybe I’ll cultivate a Golden Core I’ve never seen before,

Eh, I’ve actually got some expectations, but definitely not because of you—it’s because I have great confidence in the cultivation techniques I chose.”

“So, have you chosen yet? What will I practice for the First Realm?”

“I’ve decided… ‘Ant Ascending Heaven Technique’!”

“Hiss, what a name, both domineering and deeply meaningful.

The words ‘ant’ emphasize my initially mundane status with an exaggeration;

The words ‘ascending heaven’ not only clarify the name of the first realm but also hint at my extraordinary future where I will certainly ascend, and by having the realm in the name, it subtly indicates the cultivation technique’s distinction,

And the last word, ‘technique,’ points to the mnemonic nature of the cultivation technique and has a double meaning that reveals my determination and destiny to ascend to the Great Dao.”

Zhao Rong’s sleepiness from staying up late vanished in an instant, and he stood up excitedly.

Beside the fire, he paced back and forth, clenching one hand into a fist and spreading the other palm open, his fist striking his palm while he restrained his excitement and calmly analyzed the situation.

“Indeed, this cultivation technique is impressive.”

Gui almost completely agreed with Zhao Rong’s words, the only disagreement being his description of “an exaggeration.” There was no exaggeration; you really were an ant.

“Where did you acquire this divine skill? Was it from a perilous encounter in some desolate place, or after vanquishing a formidable enemy, as spoils of war, or perhaps the closely guarded secret of some vast power?”

“None of the above, it is…”

“Hold on, wait, let me guess, it can’t be the catalyst for your downfall, right? Was it a struggle for this very thing?!” Zhao Rong frowned.

“No, actually…”

“Stop, stop, haha, I know, I know. It actually came along with that Fu Shi bow you inherited, didn’t it? It’s part of the same peerless legacy, and only with Fu Shi bow could you cultivate it!” Zhao Rong chuckled lightly, his brows smoothing over, believing he knew the answer.

Gui coughed, “Actually, it’s a mainstream cultivation technique of the Xuanhuang Human Clan. Everyone is practicing it.”

Zhao Rong: “???”